U.S. Chamber Evaluates State Education Systems

America's schools are not equipping students with the skills and knowledge they need to be successful adults who can prosper in a global economy, according to a new U.S. Chamber report that assesses each state's K-12 education system.

Leaders and Laggards: A State-by-State Report Card on Educational Effectiveness grades all 50 states and Washington, DC, in nine education categories: academic achievement; academic achievement of low-income and minority students; return on investment; truth in advertising about student proficiency; rigor of standards; postsecondary and workforce readiness; 21st century teaching force; flexibility in management and policy; and data quality.

"This report reinforces what Chamber members and businesses have indicated is a growing problem -the lack of a properly educated and prepared workforce," says Arthur Rothkopf, Chamber senior vice president and head of the Chamber's Education and Workforce Initiative. "The business community is not going to stand for the status quo in K-12 education."

The state report cards were compiled by a bipartisan team of experts led by Rothkopf, who is also president emeritus of Lafayette College; John Podesta, former White House chief of staff to President Clinton and current president and CEO of the Center for American Progress; and Frederick M. Hess, director of education policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research. The team collected and analyzed scores and data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress; the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation; Achieve, Inc.; the Data Quality Campaign; the College Board; and each state's curriculums, exit standards, proficiency scores, education spending, and reporting data.

The Chamber and the Center for American Progress, also issued a Joint Platform for Education Reform that calls for incentives to attract effective teachers and principals; the adoption of sound business management principles; improved data collection and greater use of data in decision making; and the implementation of innovative education practices and school models, among other reforms.

To view the full report, visit www.uschamber.com/reportcard.